Global Studies - Damon - 2017
Local and Popular Culture
Types of Culture
• Local culture: small group of people with unique culture, does not change much over time
• Popular culture: widespread cultural ideas, change constantly
Challenge: Holding on to local culture in a time of rapid globalization
Examples of U.S. Popular Culture
Material Culture
Non-material culture
• Material (surface) culture: can be seen, heard, touched
• Nonmaterial (deep) culture: harder to know & learn
How Do Local Cultures Survive?
• They keep other cultures out and their own culture in– May physically isolate themselves
• They define a place or space as representing their culture– Ethnic neighborhoods– Festivals, parades, etc.
Example: Irish-American Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
U.S. Rural Local Culture Example:The Amish
U.S. Urban Local Culture Example: Ethnic Neighborhoods
There are 3 Chinatowns in New York City. This one is in Manhattan.
Changing one’s culture to fit in with a different cultural group
Can be voluntary or forced
Cultural Assimilation
Forced Cultural Assimilation Example: American Indian Boarding Schools
1870s to 1970s“… forbidden to speak native languages, taught Christianity
instead of native religions …forced to abandon their Indian identity and adopt European-American culture.”
Cultural LandscapeA landscape changed by a cultural group
Opposite = Natural Landscape
Cultural DiffusionSpread of cultural ideas from one person
or group to another
Key Concepts Related to Cultural Diffusion
• Cultural hearth: location where cultural idea begins– Example: cultural hearth
of hip hop music = Bronx, New York
DJ Kool Herc, Founder of Hip Hop
• Distance decay: as distance from the hearth increases, likelihood of an idea spreading decreases
• Time-space compression: ideas spread quickly to places that are connected by transportation & communication
Diffusion of Innovation Model
Example: Diffusion of Smartphone
Types of Diffusion:Relocation DiffusionIdeas diffuse when people move
Example: Spanish language was spread by Spanish speaking people migrating to the Americas
Expansion Diffusion• Ideas diffuse without people moving
– 3 types:
• Contagious
• Hierarchical
• Stimulus
Example: Harry Potter popularity spread by word of mouth, promotion by media
Expansion Diffusion Type 1
Contagious DiffusionIdeas diffused by communication & media
Mannequin Challenge
Expansion Diffusion Type 2
Hierarchical DiffusionIdeas diffused through a hierarchy
From big cities to small towns
From “trendsetters” to “the average person”
Stimulus DiffusionBasic idea diffuses but is changed to fit local
culture
Germany - with beer!
India - no beef
Chile - with guacamole
Canada - lobster roll Japan - shrimp burger
Expansion Diffusion Type 2
Barriers to Diffusion
• Physical barriers– Oceans, mountain ranges, walls, etc.
• Cultural barriers– Language, religion, government, income,
education, access to technology, etc.